Vync

"The Veterans Benefits Training Improvement Act of 2011 would direct anyone who receives a less than satisfactory grade on the exam to undergo remedial training, then be tested again. Anyone who receives two opportunities for remedial training but still receives a less than satisfactory score would face “appropriate personnel action,” the bill says, without describing exactly what that means." From what I saw in the military, "appropriate personnel action" usually meant promotion.

This needs to be printed and set next to every toilet at all VA offices

I know what you mean. I still wonder if anyone else has had any luck with a different approach without going through a grueling appeal. I thought about sending an IRIS request, but doubt it would help at all. Out of a dozen previous IRIS requests, I only received responses to two or three of them.

In my state, I can send a letter to the Attorney General's office and request an clarification on how existing state laws should be applied. Is it possible to request clarification of VA laws/regulations, other than by pursuing appeals through the BVA or CAVC?

That sounds great! Can you post a link to where you got this? The local Dairy Queen will give a discount, but only if you are in uniform.

Congratulations! Be sure to contact the VA billing office and see if they can refund any co-pays.

If you have an upcoming appointment with a VA psychologist or psychiatrist, it might worth a shot to copy of your exam and ask them to look it over, get their opinion, etc...

Lol, funny!

NSASaigon, That definitely does not pass the smell test... Here is what I experienced. A few years ago, I could go to the VAMC Business Office to request co-pay reimbursements. It was as simple as the request going in and a week or two later I would receive a check. Since the regional centers were put in place, everything got hosed. Docs were failing to notate SC treatment visits as being SC, so the VA sent me bills and also charged me service fees and even threatened to reduce my monthly compensation if I didn't pay. Even after my rating went above 50%, they still continued doing this. I got it all fixed with help from my VAMC Business Office manager. They could not believe how screwed up things became. Implementation of the regional centers ruined everything. Chuck's idea of an insurance audit sounds like a good idea. Every time I go, they still charge my private insurance for SC treatment visits, but they claimed to have fixed this during my previous complaints. It also would be nice to see how far back they went.

Yeah, we see resolutions like this all the time. This is the first time the DAV has felt it was important enough to actually email me something not related to claims.

jbasser, My doc is hesitant to install ear tubes at this time because no liquid was visible behind the ear drum. Do you think it may be possible to get the eustachian tube dysfunction SC secondary to allergic rhinitis/sinusitis? john6012, A specialist might be your best option. I found this link which describes some of the issues and potential solutions. If you choose to have a procedure performed, be sure to do your homework and learn about the procedures, risks, and side effects before considering letting someone work on you...

I received the attached letter from the DAV. It details pending COLA legislation in the House and Senate: COLA - HR 1407 and S 894. COLA - HR 1407 and S 894.pdf

Do you happen to also have allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, or a deviated septum? My doc said all of these contribute to my eustachian tube issue. They also gave me Nasonex and Astelin nasal sprays, which have helped somewhat. I was told that the eustachian tube opening in the rear of the sinus cavity gets clogged, swollen, and/or infected, so the docs recommended some sinus procedures to potentially offer some relief, but I have not had any procedures yet.

After reading the topic, I began to think about asking about these kind of records and felt it better deserved its own topic. These kind of records involve our claims and some of them could be very important, thus we should have access to it.

We can request submit a privacy act request to the RO and receive a c-file, military personnel records, and even VA compensation payment history. But what about information pertaining to us that is stored within internal VA systems? After looking through my c-file copy, I found a few sheets containing application screenshots and also internal notes about my claim. I am interested in getting copies of that too. Anyone know if this is possible?

How does the VA determine if records did not exist when a decision was made? Do they simply check the C-file to see if the records are present? I am curious because the 'evidence' section in my decision letters usually say something like "Service treatment records dated {start date} through {end date}" It seems like the VA is trying to cover their bases by enveloping a date range and saying, 'yeah, we have those records'.

With respect to the Federal employee pay freeze, they still receive step increases

Wow, that's awful. Given that article is four years old, it makes me wonder how much bonus were paid out to VA employees since the beginning of this year...

They should rename the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to the Consumer Price Index Without Factoring In Consumption (CPIWFIC).

Proposed 1% reduction in annual Social Security COLA? I'm not a lawyer, but saw this in the news and was curious if it could impact VA COLA --- if it somehow was signed into law. I know Bachman took some heat recently for publicly announcing the desire to cut VA benefits, but quickly realized it was a mistake. This could be one of those situations where Hutchison does not realize that this proposal might have cascading effect into VA benefits. Senator Kay Bayley Hutchison (R-Texas) proposed her "Defend & Save Social Security Act" Key provisions, if passed: - Gradually increase retirement age (over 16 years) to 69 - Institute a one percent reduction in the annual Social Security COLA - More details are in the links below Link to the Senator's site http://hutchison.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=615 Link to the actual text of the bill http://hutchison.senate.gov/files/documents/SS%20Bill%20Text%20-%20FINAL.pdf

Pete's recommendation to get a sleep study is a great idea. It is a very scientific approach as it involves a number of surveys, measurements, and takes constant readings while you sleep (or try to sleep). This might sound unusual, but another option is to visit an audiologist. Part of my problem sleeping was the high-pitched whirring sound I hear all the time. When I went to bed, the sound would get louder because all the background sounds would be more quiet. It was not unusual for me to still be awake at 2am. I did not recognize what it was until I read about it on Hadit. I had a sleep study and they found some minor aspects of the problem. I then visited an audiologist. Between the two, the audiologist's findings were spot on for tinnitus and they shipped me a small sound generator machine. I still have issues sleeping for different reasons, but thanks to the machine the tinnitus issues are not as bad as before. The machine is not a cheap one you would find at a chain bedding and bath store or late night tv. This one had a bunch of settings and also a portable battery pack.

That sounds promising and I hope it works out in your favor. Arthritis - Do you have any treatment records from active duty or within 12 months after retirement? The VA has a special presumptive category for this. The VA dentists have talked with me about botox shots to relieve the constant facial muscle tension. What have been your results from your botox treatment?

Hi bakerkd, Carlie asked me to help. If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me. Retro-orbital headaches These could be related to anything, but if you have a claim in for TMJ, they most likely could be rated secondary to that. Tinnitus/Vertigo I am not overly familiar with peripheral vestibular disorder (Vertigo). I am familiar with Tinnitus and have a claim in for it. The inner ear is very close to the TMJ. If you encountered some form of head injury, car accident, or maybe had some oral surgery that went bad, it might be related. Bruxism/Headaches These are definitely related to each other and I believe to TMJ too. You definitely can get headaches SC as secondary to TMJ, but I am not sure if there is a rating for bruxism. Cervical DDD/rad/Dystonia I also have read where these can be caused by TMJ, with TMJ even reaching the lumbar region with similar problems. I have not filed for these secondary to TMJ, but I don not doubt it is possible to win SC. Jaw Pain Getting a rating for pain would be more likely via a mental rating for depression/chronic pain syndrome, but there would have to be a very well documented history. See next paragraph.... Yes! TMJ is rated by ROM (via diagnostic code 9905 Limited motion of the jaw) and then other issues may be rated secondary to that, unless there is clear justification for them to be rated otherwise. My C&P exam for TMJ was performed by the VA dental clinic, not the regular C&P clinic. Whiplash may be a serious factor, depending on what is found in the accident and medical treatment reports. After researching, I found some conditions which may be rated as secondary TMJ: GERD caused by NSAIDs used to treat SC TMJ Constipation/IBS caused by narcotic pain medicatioon used to treat SC TMJ Headaches caused by SC TMJ Depression/PTSD caused by SC TMJ Important -- Check your C&P exam results. The big factor is the doctor's opinion. Good opinions include 'is due to', 'more likely than not', and 'least as likely as not'. Bad opinions include 'probably', 'less likely', and 'is not'.

Yes. I am rated for both GERD and IBS separately and some other folks here are too. However, I think it depends on the situation at hand. I have heard of people being rated for both, but under a single rating.

lol, old topic alert